NYFW: PETER SOM F/W 2014

Fall/Winter lines have a tendency to be dominated by solid colors, usually dark, with nothing more imaginative than an enlarged houndstooth (which sounds rather painful) or variations on a chevron being about as close to a print as many designers dare go. We expect, and get, dark hues, bulky silhouettes, and layers that obscure the feminine form. Fortunately, Peter Som did none of those things, though, at first glance, it appeared that he might.

Starting the show was a set of blue and black suits done in wool and leather. They were certainly weather appropriate for an insufferably cold morning in New York, and they carried a severe New York style attitude along with them. None of those first few pieces would be out of place on the streets of Manhattan. But then, Som starts in with leopard print, something that was immensely popular in spring/summer lines. He carries that over to dresses, skirts, coats, and shoes, often pairing it with burn orange leather. The looks are still seasonably warm, but the burn orange brightens the palette dramatically and gives the looks a much more engaging spirit, even when the silhouettes on some of the dresses are a bit boxy.

What really shines throughout this collection, though, are the prints. Som takes floral rose prints and blurs them enough to be soft and imaginative, but not so much that one cannot tell what it us. They start white on dark blue, which is, again, perfect for the season, and then, once more, transition to orange. While the looks are perfect for day wear, when applied to gowns the prints are given the opportunity to really move and flow.

Som injects some humor into the collection by adding feather-covered skirts to occasional looks. Whether those will actually see their way to store shelves is anyone’s guess. While they were popular with the audience and drew a lot of attention on social media, I’m not sure they’re practical or were meant to be anything more than an amusement.

Peter Som’s Fall/Winter collection does a very good job of injecting some brightness into the dark shades of winter. With silhouettes that are feminine and comfortable I would expect the line to be very popular when it hits the stores.